PBBI-Fresno State has launched its fifth annual Crowdfunding campaign.

The Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) is a center to enrich the connections between students and the Portuguese-American community, promoting the Portuguese-speaking world through language, history, culture, and influence. Through oral history collection and Bruma Publications, the institute will capture the stories, people, and impact of the Portuguese-American experience in California. Through the invaluable art of storytelling, connecting multiple generations to the history, culture, and perseverance of Portuguese-Americans, we educate and prepare Fresno State students in the technique and craft of collecting oral histories. The Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute is the hub of cultural, literary, and pedagogical resources to promote the Portuguese legacy in the Valley. 

PBBI, through Bruma Publications, will create possibilities for registering immigrant experiences and the cultural connections between the Portuguese-American community and the myriad of cultures in our region, connecting our students through print and digital publications to the contributions Californians of Portuguese ancestry have made to the Valley and the State, as well as bring awareness of creativity within the Portuguese-American students. The Portuguese literature to all of our students will enrich our students and build bridges with the local communities.    

Bruma Publications has published five works, and three others are being edited, publishing a digital cultural magazine, a newsletter, and a daily online news blog with both platforms.  It has never been easier for Californians and all Americans of Portuguese ancestry to have vital information about the Azores and Madeira and cultural news.  We also feature community events and Diaspora profiles.  We will also have a reading series for our students, faculty, and community. 

The oral history project is working on constantly updating our archives, and soon, it will be the largest Portuguese archive for oral history in any California university, with two documentaries and two others in the preplanning phases. PBBI is not just registering the stories of the Portuguese-American community but also creating our narratives.   

By helping PBBI with our annual community-based grassroots crowdfunding, you are helping us archive many of our projects to register and disseminate the Portuguese-American experience and our connections to the Azores in Central California and throughout the state. 

We have reached our first milestone of 5 thousand dollars, our first of 4 milestones, to reach 22 thousand dollars by the end of October.  According to Diniz Borges, executive director of PBBI: “ the goal is a very ambitious one, but it is certainly attainable with the commitment from the community.”  So far, according to the crowdfunding numbers, the community has responded and been very generous.  This campaign is one where everyone can participate. The categories are within reach of anyone in our community, starting at $25, but one can donate $10 as well. We are looking to achieve 200 donors this year. Borges added: “As of the 4th of October, we have achieved 5 thousand dollars and hope to reach 10 thousand by the 14th of October, in one week. Our top donation has been 1500 dollars. We are grateful for this very generous donation from a very successful Portuguese-American business family, and we hope to continue to have everyone participate. We welcome all donations in all amounts.” This is the only community academic grassroots crowdfunding program for a Portuguese Center in any California public university. “It is beautiful to see the community come together and everyone from all walks of life involved in this endeavor, as we try to archive our history, create our narratives, bring awareness of the Portuguese-American contributions to the Valley and the State, as well as make connections with other communities in other states and other lusophone diasporas. Fresno State has been a leader in creating a unique opportunity for the Portuguese-American experience.”

All contributions can be made online through a secure Fresno State system.  The link and QR codes are below. 

 bit.ly/46fdNIo